Eclipse, Book 2: Ice Forest
by xXMistsongXx
Summary: The two kits born on the Eclipse have gone separate ways. One is good, while the other is evil. Mistsong is determined to stop her brother at all costs, but what if that cost was her death? Sequel!
1. Allegiances

_Okay. So here is the Alliance. I am also adding the rogues, because, I felt it would be a good idea. And also, a special thanks to all who reviewed the last story! AND it's going to snow soon, so...I'm just bouncing with excitement!_

Summary: _Mistsong has earned her warrior name. She now knows the secrets of the Light Ones, or EclipseClan. But darkness is still surrounding the forest, and not all of it revolves around EclipseClan. A battle is brewing, one that could tare apart the Clans as she knows it. And only she can stop it._

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Allegiances

ThunderClan

**Leader:** Lightningstar - black she-cat

**Deputy:** Ashstorm - solid gray tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Waterdream - gray tom with black stripes around his legs

**Warriors:**

Speckledface - cream-colored she-cat with brown speckles around her muzzle

Jayflight - dark gray tabby tom  
apprentice: _Applepaw_

Jaggedfur - spiky-furred dusky brown tom  
apprentice: _Hawkpaw_

Berrytail - dark cream she-cat (**Mate:** _Fallstripe)_

Snowstorm - big white tom

Swiftclaw - gray-and-white tom

Lightsnow - brown-and-cream tom with blue eyes

Finchwing - light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Mistsong - silvery white she-cat

**Apprentices:**

Applepaw - reddish tabby she-cat

Hawkpaw - light brown tabby she-cat

**Queens:**

Leopardheart - golden brown she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Flamekit (ginger tom), Oakkit (brown tabby tom) and Whiskerkit (dark brown tabby tom)

Cinderfoot - gray she-cat with amber eyes, expecting Lightsnow's kits

Chillgaze - very pale gray, almost white she-cat with ice-blue eyes, expecting Jaggedfur's kits

**Elders:**

Fallstripe - ginger tom with a dark red stripe across his back, former deputy

Darkpelt - long-legged tabby tom with a black pelt

Russetflame - sleek-furred dark ginger tom

Brackenspots - dark brown she-cat with lighter brown spots, oldest cat in the Clan

ShadowClan

**Leader:** Tinystar - small pale gray tabby tom

**Deputy:** Arrowpelt - brown tom with green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Leafstalk - dark brown tabby tom

**Warriors:**

Frogleg - long-legged dark brown tom

Spottedsnow - spotted gray she-cat

Marshwing - pale tabby she-cat with green eyes

Ryefoot - dusky brown tom with white paws  
apprentice: _Owlpaw_

Nightfire - black tom  
apprentice: _Pricklepaw_

Frostleaf - pale gray tabby she-cat

Marrowtail - white tom with amber eyes

Mallowfall - light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

Owlpaw - mottled gray tom

Pricklepaw - gray-and-white she-cat

**Queens:**

Lilacfern - pretty, long-haired golden she-cat, mother of Petalkit, Mosskit and Cherrykit

Foxnight - black-and-ginger she-cat, mother of Onyxkit and Rubblekit

Emberstripe - gray tabby, expecting

**Elders:**

Stormcloud - stormy gray tom with pale yellow eyes

Tinselfern - light gray tabby she-cat

WindClan

**Leader:** Foxstar - ginger tom with green eyes

**Deputy:** Deerleap - white tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
apprentice: _Maplepaw_

**Medicine Cat:** Reedwind - pale brown tom  
apprentice: _Rabbitwhisker_

**Warriors:**

Glacierstorm - pure white tom

Bearclaw - large dark brown tabby tom

Milkweed - cream-colored tom  
apprentice: _Sorrowpaw_

Highjump - long-legged black tom

Blizzardwind - long-haired white tom

Squirrelfur - dark gray tom with a bush tail

Shadeheart - black she-cat

Mudbelly - dark brown tom with a white underbelly

**Apprentices:**

Rabbitwhisker - light brown tabby she-cat, former warrior

Sorrowpaw - black-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Maplepaw - bracken-colored she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Roseleaf - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Rainkit and Mistykit

**Elders:**

Tigerpelt - dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

RiverClan

**Leader:** Breezestar - small muscular brown tom

**Deputy:** Darkblood - huge dark ginger tom

**Medicine Cat:** Firespirit - golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Warriors:**

Rainsky - blue-gray tom with amber eyes

Pineshadow - dark gray tom

Tidalwave - silver-gray she-cat with green eyes  
apprentice: _Runningpaw_

Sandfire - ginger tabby tom  
apprentice: _Icepaw_

Mossfoot - brown tom with white paws  
apprentice: _Sapphirepaw_

Ripplenose - pale gray she-cat

Streamfur - long-haired gray she-cat

Minnowpool - light brown tabby she-cat

Duskfire - ginger tom

**Apprentices:**

Runningpaw - gray-and-white tom

Icepaw - white she-cat

Sapphirepaw - dappled gray she-cat with sapphire blue eyes

**Queens:**

Flowingstream - white she-cat

Wolfheart - dark brown tabby, mother of Hedgekit and Softkit

Ivysplash - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

**Elders:**

Honeystem - dappled golden she-cat with blue eyes

Stripedtail - tabby tom with an unusually striped tail

EclipseClan

**Leader:** Eclipse - black tom with streaks of blue-gray fur

**Second in Command:** Iris - gray she-cat with black-tipped ears and green eyes

Cats Outside Clans

Slash - black-and-silver tabby tom, blinded from EclipseClan member

Ashten - friendly brown tabby tom who lives near the edge of the forest; a kittypet

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_Wow, there are a lot of gender changes and name changes. I realized back when I first started that there were a few mistakes that were made. So I decided to fix them all in this alliance so that it would appear...better. Anyways, the first to review will get a Mistsong plushie strangling Eclipse!_


	2. Prologue

_Wow, I have six reviews already and it's only the allegiance? Well, everyone who reviewed did get that plushie^^_

_SymphoniaFreak - thanks, I'm glad to have a fan!_

_leafpool47 - a Leafpool fan eh? Thanks, hopefully the sequel will be even better. Although, sequels never turn out as good as the first, sadly._

_Dejected Dawn - I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

_EeveeCelebi749 - Uh, did I forget to put Grayfeather on the alliance? Oops. I suppose I will have to...well, you know she's still out there so...anyways, I thought about that plushie and how everyone hated Cinderfoot, so there you go; the perfect match_

_Darkness of the Eclipse - I know right? Iris is sort of like Nyra, only ten times better, in my perspective. You'll be seeing her a lot more in this book!_

_Loststream - congratulations! I remember when I first started trying out for school plays...used to be fun, before it got overrated and they started doing ridiculous things like HSM...that's just an embarrassment to American productions_

_Okay, so here's the prologue, and you get to meet different cats from StarClan, whoot!_

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**Prologue**

Rain pelted down on the forest. The droplets seemed to fall endlessly, around the sacred pool that was known as the Telling Pool. The clearing was etched with trees that grew side by side. Tension built around them as a fierce wind battered at their trunks.

A cat sat alone in the clearing, his fur slicked down from the rain. A worried look crossed his eyes as he stared into the pool. Starlight gleamed in them, and his gaze was sharp with intelligence.

He continued looking into the pool, as a second cat padded over to him. Light gleamed in this cats' eyes. Her fur was a beautiful dappled tortoiseshell, and her eyes were golden colored.

She was not like other cats. She was far older then the first cat, and she knew more then he.

"Goldenspirit," the tom meowed with a respectful dip of his head. "It has been quite some time now."

Her tail wrapped neatly around her paws as she sat down beside him. "When StarClan needs me, I come," she replied in a melodic tone.

The tom shivered visibly as she looked at him. "What do you know about this...Eclipse?" he asked.

Goldenspirit chuckled slightly when she saw the fear etched in his eyes. "If you knew, you would deem this warrior dead in an instant," she murmured.

The clearing fell silent as the two cats locked eyes. The tom knew how...unusual Goldenspirit was. She would often speak in riddles, and never once repeated her words. He felt as though he needed to get out as much information as he could.

"Perhaps you could use a little leverage," he mewed.

She didn't reply. A third cat was stalking towards them. This one was a long-haired blue-gray tom, with amber eyes that had been dulled out with grief. He stopped when he was nearly a whiskers length away from them.

"Who is this?" Goldenspirit asked, surprised at the sight.

"This is Dampfur," the tom explained. "He was...killed because his mate went mad with grief. Because of that..._Eclipse_." He spat out the word _Eclipse_. "Lightningstar was devastated when she killed him. She is now afraid to even share tongues with us."

Goldenspirit's eyes widened slightly. "The Eclipse can do many things to certain cats," she meowed. "It is said to be a curse, and a gift. It curses the cats around the one who is gifted. But since there were two born on the night of the Eclipse, it turned out differently."

"The Eclipse killed Grayfeather's heart!" Dampfur suddenly cried. "She is no longer a warrior, or a cat!"

Goldenspirit turned to glare at him. Dampfur crouched down under her sharp gaze, suddenly feeling afraid. "_Eclipse_ is the reason she is mad," she snapped. "Duststar, I know you mean well, but there is nothing that can be done. What has happened has happened, and the past cannot be changed."

Duststar looked at her in dismay. True, the birth could not have been prevented. But they could have done _something_, had they know the damages this night brought upon the Clan. Two warriors were dead, a kit was killed, and the deputy was malformed now.

As if on cue, a fourth cat appeared, with a tiny little kit at his side. His fur was golden, with darker tabby stripes etching around his body and legs. The kit was a dark brown tabby tom.

"Sunstep, Flickerkit," Duststar mewed with another dip of his head.

The golden tabby dipped his head in return, then looked at Goldenspirit. "Why StarClan summoned you, I have no idea," he muttered crossly. "You were a traitor in the ancient times, and you don't deserve a place among the stars."

Goldenspirit's eyes gleamed with amusement as Sunstep spoke. He was a rather ambitious tom, but he had been killed during a battle against EclipseClan. She knew he was not a bother to her.

"StarClan summoned her because she has intelligence on the Eclipse," Duststar explained.

"I still do not have to enjoy sharing a den with that..._thing_," Sunstep spat.

Duststar regarded the golden tabby with a mere flick of his tail. He turned to Goldenspirit, who watched with glittering eyes. "Forgive him," he meowed, "He does not always see things the way we do."

Goldenspirit remained silent as Duststar continued. "We know enough about this Eclipse to prevent it from happening among the Clans, but who's to say it won't happen among the rogues? We've all seen the future."

Sunstep nodded while Dampfur's eyes clouded over once more.

"If the future is to bring peace, then we must allow this...birth to happen," Goldenspirit replied. All cats looked at her in confusion, but she swept on, "These rogues may be the key to saving your Clans, if you allow them to live. But I suppose not even the noble Duststar would want that to happen." Her voice came out as a sneer, and Duststar's hackles rose. "What I saw is true, and I shall share with you the vision."

As if waiting for them, she dipped her muzzle into the pool. Ripples began to form, and then, an image appeared. The fur was lined with dark gray, almost sooty black fur. Pale yellow eyes gleamed back at them, and Sunstep let out a shocked cry. The cat looked almost exactly like his father.

"If this cat is the future of the Clans, then we are all doomed," Duststar murmured as the image faded. Soon, the StarClan cats faded along with it, as the sun began to rise.

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_Wow, there's A LOT of foreshadowing in this prologue. I hope you can catch it^^ Lets see...You get a Goldenspirit plushie if you review!_


	3. Chapter 1

_Sorry guys, I would have updated sooner, except I was busy writing out the plotline for this story. Let me tell you, it's going to be awesome, and longer then the first!  
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_Loststream - you're right! But I post the intro stories on my profile so that I'm not so confused when they're posted_

_SymphoniaFreak - you didn't read the first book did you? If you'd read that, then you would understand where Duststar came from_

_Darkness of the Eclipse - oh, you'll find out how evil they are soon, trust me_

_XxRandom NemesisxX - thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!_

_stormikat - you'll have to keep reading to find out^^_

_Wildwaters - I've read your story, and I must say I'm impressed. Sorry I haven't been able to review though, I've been busy with this and a bunch of other stories_

_Starwhisker Spiritclaw - a new reviewer! Awe thanks, but my writing isn't THAT great. I suppose I just look at other people's writing styles and all of that, before I begin writing^^"_

_Okay, I wrote this up there so that I could chat with my reviewers, so you can post things other then the story was great or something like that, it would make my day :D_

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**Chapter 1**

Mistsong shifted from paw to paw, as frost covered her whiskers. Newleaf had arrived, but the air was still cool during the night. Dew gathered on the grass around her, which only made things worse. Her pelt was beginning to thicken from the moisture that covered it.

She reflected back on the day she became an apprentice, to ease her wandering mind. It was on a day like this, only it had been sunhigh. Lightningstar had announced her name, along with her brother, Eclipse. Sadly though, Eclipse had become evil during the course of his first six moons, due to the constant jeering his Clanmates gave him. Mistsong, however, was different.

Not only did she surpass all expectations, but she learned how to master her powers as well. She could now vanish without a trace, and stalk every cat she knew. Of course, she would only use her power in her most dire need. She had used her powers to discover the Light One's weakness. And their weakness was their stupidity.

They knew nothing about real fighting, or how to defend each other. They cared only about themselves, which made them weak. Mistsong had seen that the rogues would constantly stretch their claws across the gravel of the Thunderpath, which led them into making them longer and sharper.

Predawn sunlight poured through the trees as the first cat was roused from their sleep. It was Lightningstar, and she padded right over to Mistsong.

"Your vigil is over," meowed the ThunderClan leader. "You may rest now."

Mistsong breathed a sigh of relief and shook the water from her pelt. Lightningstar leaped to the side, amusement gleamed in her eyes.

"Good, I thought I was going to become an icicle," Mistsong purred.

Lightningstar flicked her tail over Mistsong's ear before heading for the fresh-kill pile. For a moment, Mistsong was confused. She was about to go to her old den, when she realized that she was now a warrior. She would sleep in the warriors' den tonight.

Flattening her ears in embarrassment, Mistsong padded over. Lightsnow and Finchwing were sleeping near the entrance, as was tradition. Newer warriors always slept towards the coldest part of the den, while the senior warriors were surrounded by warm pelts.

Lightsnow opened his eyes and flicked his tail towards an empty nest. "You can take Cinderfoot's nest," he whispered.

She nodded and crept over bodies, careful not to step on any sleeping cat. When she reached Cinderfoot's nest, she saw that it was lined with feathers and dry moss. It had become brittle from lack of use, and she knew why.

Cinderfoot had moved to the nursery during the last couple of moons, and was now expecting Lightsnow's kits. Though Mistsong was pleased with the prospect of more kits, she was slightly jealous. She had once had feelings for Lightsnow. But that all changed after she met Duskpaw.

She sighed as she thought of the ginger tom, whose pelt was as bright as fire. Duskpaw had stolen her heart the moment they met. She wasn't sure how it happened, but there was something about him that made her head swim through clouds.

Mistsong curled in her nest when she was comfortable enough. Her eyes closed, and she was finally asleep.

*****

"Mistsong, wake up!" A voice pounded within Mistsong's ears. They perked forward, but she made no movement. Suddenly, a paw jabbed at her side, making her jump to her paws.

Lightsnow had woken her up. His blue eyes were full of worry as he watched her.

She jerked from her nest and started licking at her chest fur in mild embarrassment. Her first day as a warrior and she already ruined it by sleeping in!

It was well passed sunhigh. Ashstorm was pacing around the clearing, organizing patrols. Leopardheart's kits stumbled out of the nursery, mewling with excitement and happiness as they chased around a butterfly.

"Well, I was wondering when you would wake," Speckledface growled.

Mistsong stared at the senior warrior. Speckledface was one of the few cats who opposed her in becoming a warrior. She had once even sneered at Mistsong's name. Somehow, Mistsong felt as though she couldn't trust this cat.

"Mistsong!" Ashstorm greeted her with a dip of his head. Speckledface hissed in annoyance and stalked away, leaving the confused deputy to look at her. "What's gotten into her fur?" he asked, amused.

"I'm sorry I slept in," Mistsong mewed, ignoring his statement.

Ashstorm purred and flicked his tail tip. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "All first time warriors tend to sleep in. Anyways, I was wondering if you could join the evening patrol, we're short one cat, now that Cinderfoot and Chillgaze are in the nursery."

Mistsong nodded. She could make up for sleeping in by going on this patrol. Ashstorm looked pleased with her response and padded over to the fresh-kill pile, where Finchwing and Berrytail were crouched.

She gazed around and saw that several other warriors were pacing as well. With a shake of her pelt, Mistsong padded over to Snowstorm and Swiftclaw, who were discussing who the better hunter was.

"I caught a sparrow and a rabbit," Swiftclaw boasted.

"Well, I caught a blackbird," Snowstorm retorted. Swiftclaw flattened his ears and was about to bat his brother's ears when he noticed that Mistsong was watching. "Hey Mistsong, glad to see you're awake," Snowstorm meowed.

Mistsong purred and wrapped her tail around her paws. Swiftclaw had once taunted her constantly, but his harsh words stopped when he realized that Mistsong didn't need them. And Cinderfoot had given him a harsh rebuking after he had done so.

"Are you on the evening patrol?" she asked.

"No, Speckledface, Jaggedfur and Hawkpaw are," Swiftclaw replied.

A frown creased Mistsong's face. She didn't like the idea of going with Speckledface. The she-cat had begun to grow cold towards Mistsong, and she had the feeling that Speckledface was jealous of the affection Mistsong was receiving.

As they finished speaking, a yowl came from Jaggedfur. He was standing beside his apprentice, and Mistsong's friend, Hawkpaw. The light brown she-cat looked faintly embarrassed when all cats looked at her, but then they returned to their leisurely meals. Mistsong padded over to Jaggedfur, who greeted her with a gruff nod of his head. Hawkpaw however, gave the new warrior an affectionate lick before they began to wait for Speckledface.

When the speckled brown she-cat joined them, the patrol left. The forest was eerily silent as night crept in. Mistsong felt as though eyes were peering at her through the darkness, and shook her pelt, knowing the idea was ridiculous.

Suddenly Jaggedfur skidded to a halt. His jaws opened and he tasted the air. Mistsong did the same thing, and her fur stood on end.

A sharp, spring-grass scent filled the air. Mistsong exchanged a glance with Jaggedfur, and the two cats crept forward.

There, sitting in the bramble bush where she had been attacked by Eclipse, was a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. Though Mistsong didn't recognize her, she recognized her scent. It was a WindClan cat, and she had the scent of milk hanging about her.

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_Well, the ending was...it sucked. But I'm trying to improve my writing by making the chapters even longer, which is why I wrote out the plotline. So hopefully, the storie's pace will pick up. Anyways, please review!_


	4. Chapter 2

_I'm going to make this clear. IT'S SNOWING OUT! WE'RE GETTING TWELVE TO EIGHTEEN INCHES!_

_Okay, now that that's out of the way..._

_stormikat - if you read the first archive, you'll notice that Fireheart and Graystripe found nests that were once used by queens. I'm pretty sure that once Cinderfoot returns, Mistsong will have found a more suitable nest._

_leafpool407 - awe thanks! Normally I would check out new stories, but I often don't review them...I'll check it out though!_

_Darkness of the Eclipse - oh good question. If you read a few exerts from the first book, you'll know that Duskpaw is her, *crush*.  
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_Anyways, thanks stormikat for reviewing. Hopefully, more people will review by the time this chapter is typed. If not, I at least thank you for viewing the story. Oh, I also thought I should tell you that there's a new poll on my profile. Check it out!  
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**Chapter 2**

"Roseleaf?" Jaggedfur'svoice was full of disbelief. Meanwhile, Speckledface had disappeared. Mistsong was the only one who seemed to notice the she-cat's disappearance. Jaggedfur was too preoccupied with Roseleaf's intrusion. "What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" he demanded, fur bristling. Hawkpaw took the same stance, though Mistsong felt the need to point out that Roseleaf was just a queen.

"I-I," Roseleaf's voice came out in quick stammers. She hardly looked like a proud WindClan warrior. More like a cat who had stepped out of Twolegplace. "I was chasing a rabbit and I didn't scent your markers."

Now that was a lie. Mistsong could tell from her neatly groomed pelt that Roseleaf had been here for a while. The tortoiseshell made no move to defend herself as Jaggedfur stepped forward, tail bristling and teeth bared.

"And why should we believe you?" he snarled. "You have kits to take care of, in your Clan. Why would you waste your life in order to hunt, when you have an entire Clan to look after you?" Roseleaf bowed her head in submission. "Is WindClan really so weak that they can't even take care of queens?"

At that, Roseleaf's fur bristled. But it was not her place to pick up an argument. So instead, she glared at her paws. "My legs were getting stiff," she hissed irritably.

"Then shouldn't there be a warrior escort with you?" Jaggedfur snapped.

Roseleaf flattened her ears, but before she could reply, Mistsong stepped beside Jaggedfur. He glanced at her and his gaze glowered, but he didn't speak.

"Roseleaf, we could easily kill you for trespassing," she meowed. "But that would be against the warrior code, to kill a warrior in cold blood. It seems as though the warrior code has been forgotten."

The tortoiseshell flinched from Mistsong's words. But Roseleaf's gaze was level as she looked directly at Mistsong. Something was familiar about the way Mistsong spoke. There was something in her tone that reminded Roseleaf of a certain cat in ThunderClan. Mistsong held Roseleaf's stare until the WindClan queen was forced to look away.

"I'll leave," she growled. Her mission was done. At least, her kits would make it out alive. For now.

She rose to her paws, and Mistsong watched as she skirted the edges of Fourtrees. Mistsong noticed that Roseleaf had a limping gait, and there was almost a look of sorrow in her eyes. A look that told Mistsong this wasn't over.

"That was odd." Mistsong jumped when she heard Speckledface's voice.

The cream-colored she-cat had returned. Mistsong narrowed her eyes when the sharp tang of gorse filled the air. It could have easily been left from Roseleaf, but something told her that it came from Speckledface.

The patrol of four cats padded silently through the forest. Their own mission had been completed, though Mistsong knew Jaggedfur would have to tell Lightningstar about Roseleaf. Mistsong had a feeling that it would not end well.

*****

"Roseleaf?" Lightningstar stared at Jaggedfur as if he had lost his fur. "Roseleaf has kits for StarClan's sake! Why would she venture out into our territory?"

Mistsong tilted her head in confusion as she saw Lightningstar rage. She slightly remembered Lightningstar talking about meeting a cat known as Rosepaw when she had been captured by the Light Ones. Then, the two had become good friends in an attempt to escape.

"It was strange," Jaggedfur muttered. The spiky-haired cat looked as confused as Mistsong.

"Keep an eye out for Fourtrees," Lightningstar meowed to Ashstorm. The deputy dipped his head, but before he could move, Lightningstar continued. "If WindClan are preparing an attack, then we must be prepared."

After Mistsong finished listening to Lightningstar, she returned to her nest. Lightsnow was already fast asleep. Several other cats were as well, but only a couple stirred to rise for another patrol.

The Clan was growing more and more tired, after having lost so many cats. Mistsong knew it wouldn't be long before Lightningstar grew desperate. With less cats to go on patrols, Ashstorm would use them more than once. And that meant they didn't have time to rest.

Curling up in her nest, Mistsong quickly found herself asleep.

However, her sleep was deeply disturbed. She found herself roaming through a forest, thick with trees and a heavy scent. The scent was slightly familiar, but nothing about the forest was.

Mistsong blinked in surprise when she heard a river roaring nearby. This territory was not like that of StarClan, where cats milled about or gleamed with starlight.

Instead, darkness seemed to cloud the ground. Shadows danced along the trees, as a breeze made the leaves rustle. Mistsong shivered when she realized that there were no lights. Not even stars could gleam in the sky.

Her gaze sharpened slightly when something moved in the shadows. Mistsong gasped when golden eyes peered at her blue ones. A cat suddenly stepped out of a bush. Dappled tortoiseshell fur gleamed from her pelt, and for a moment, Mistsong was afraid this was a cat from the Light Ones.

But the cat's eyes glimmered with amusement when she caught Mistsong's fear scent. "Well, well, so this is the noble cat they told me about," she purred.

Mistsong gulped. She had no idea what this cat was talking about, but her claws unsheathed as she thought about digging them into her pelt. But before she could even begin thinking of that, the dappled cat purred once more.

"Honestly, you can sheath your claws," she meowed. Mistsong's heart was racing now as the she-cat stepped forward and gave her pelt a good sniff. "Well, it's obvious that you're ThunderClan. Now, we can do this easily, or you can make it more difficult for yourself."

Mistsong was about to object, when the golden she-cat stopped her with a raise of her paw. She was surprised by her formal gesture. Mistsong knew that this cat was not from StarClan. But curiosity was quickly taking over, and Mistsong began to wonder where this cat came from.

"My name is Goldenspirit, and I have come with a...story," she explained. "Once, long ago, another cat was born on the night of an Eclipse, like you." Goldenspirit had sat down, and Mistsong did the same. "This cat was considered a curse to his Clan. They didn't trust him, and treated him like an outcast. But a group of rogues started taking kits and queens. This cat didn't take kindly to these rogues.

"So he made a plan. He started using his powers, given to him by the Eclipse, and learned the rogues' secrets. When he realized what the rogues were doing to the stolen queens and kits, he told his Clan. The Clan attacked, and took back the queens. The kits were already brainwashed, so it was too late for them. The Clan had no choice but to kill them. This cat was devastated that kits were forced into death. But he knew that it was necessary for them to die. The Clan's safety depended on it.

"And thus, Cloudspots became a hero..." Mistsong gasped when she recognized the name. Cloudspots had been the first medicine cat of ThunderClan! And if this was the case, than the powers of the Eclipse ran down through a strong line of warriors and medicine cats.

"Mistsong, do you not realize what is happening?" Goldenspirit asked.

She tilted her head in confusion. Goldenspirit's story was nice, but Mistsong hardly understood why she was reciting anything. Her heart began to pound when Goldenspirit's eyes smoldered like flint.

"History is repeating itself!" she spat. "Your Clan is the one in the story. Cloudspots is you!"

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_Whoa cliffie! I'm very excited about writing this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and Goldenspirit's story!_


	5. Chapter 3

_Hey everyone! I'm sooooo sorry that I lied! I finally decided to post an update on Eclipse, because I got an idea while writing Separate._

_xXRandom NemesisXx - that would make the story very interesting, but sadly, no. She's not Cloudspots; Goldenspirit used him as a leverage to make Mistsong understand._

_Stormikat - you'll find out later on, when the story finally gets better, or longer._

_Wildwaters - lol sorry for not noticing! You were in Australia? Always wanted to go there, though you have to put up with all of the scorpions and all of that fun stuff...yeah. I like them, but not that much._

_Darkness of the Eclipse - sorry for confusing you! I'm trying my best to keep on track with the story; it gets tough when you've taken a two month break..._

_Now on to the chapter!_

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**Chapter 3**

Mistsong stared at Goldenspirit in utter disbelief. She couldn't possibly be in that story! Goldenspirit tilted her head as she waited for Mistsong to reply.

But the pale silver she-cat didn't know how to. She could hear the soft murmuring of her Clanmates as her vision faded. It didn't take long for Goldenspirit to completely disappear. Mistsong was back in the camp before she knew it.

"About time you woke up." Mistsong nearly leaped out of her fur when she heard Finchwing mew behind her. His gaze was full of concern, but amusement too. "Ashstorm wanted to speak with you."

She blinked in surprise as he disappeared once again. Ashstorm wanted to visit her? What did the ThunderClan deputy want? Then a wave of horror crept through her. What if something had happened to Lightningstar, or one of Leopardheart's kits?

Mistsong clambered out of her nest, feeling exhausted after talking to Goldenspirit all night. It felt like she hadn't slept at all, and she wondered if it had to do with the forest Goldenspirit lived in. The dream was already beginning to disappear from her memory, and for once, Mistsong was glad.

She bounded across the clearing and quickly spotted Ashstorm, talking quietly to Lightningstar. The ThunderClan leader blinked, and Ashstorm padded away. Mistsong stared after him confused. Why did Finchwing call her over if Ashstorm was going to disappear.

"You slept in," Lightningstar meowed as she scanned Mistsong's appearance. Mistsong could see the surprise in her yellow eyes.

"Sorry," Mistsong murmured, shuffling her paws against the ground. "I was having a bad dream."

"It seems to be happening more often..." Lightningstar trailed off and stared into the gorse tunnel. Mistsong stared at her in alarm. Lightningstar didn't normally speak like that unless something was terribly wrong with her. "I know you are more then ready for an apprentice. Leopardheart's kits are also ready to become apprentices, and so, I am assigning one to you."

Mistsong's jaw hung open in shock. She was getting an apprentice? She couldn't help but shiver with excitement and nervousness. Leopardheart's kits had reached their sixth moon, which meant that the Clan would finally have more apprentices.

"I will hold their ceremony tomorrow," Lightningstar continued. "For now, I would like you to patrol with Speckledface and Lightsnow."

A groan nearly escaped from Mistsong's throat. The last thing she wanted was to patrol with Speckledface. The cream-furred warrior had become more and more distant with the Clan. And with each passing day, Mistsong began to suspect that Speckledface was plotting with WindClan to overthrow Lightningstar.

The two cats were waiting for Mistsong in front of the gorse tunnel. Speckledface's muzzle was twisted in a content sneer, as if she was pleased that Mistsong was unhappy. Lightsnow ignored the two silently fighting she-cats and began to lead the way forward.

Mistsong followed. She felt her pelt prickle with unease as the patrol moved forward silently. She knew Lightsnow wanted her to get along with Speckledface. But Lightsnow didn't understand her lingering suspicions about the cream-colored warrior. He brushed his tail across her shoulder, as if to reassure her that it would be okay. Mistsong knew it wouldn't be until she knew about Speckledface.

They were nearing the border to WindClan when she heard a familiar snarl. A pure white tom was standing near the edge of Fourtrees, his tail kinked up high. His pale blue eyes were searching the ThunderClan patrol, as if waiting for something. She couldn't help but slant her eyes towards Speckledface. The senior warrior exchanged a sly look with the pure white tom.

"Typical ThunderClan," he sneered, curling his lips, "Always crossing the border."

"We weren't doing anything of the sort," Lightsnow spat.

"You were about to," meowed a long-legged black tom. Mistsong knew he was an aggressive warrior. She remembered seeing him from the time she had seen WindClan at a Gathering.

"Actually, it looks as though you were about to cross the border," Speckledface called back.

Highjump's eyes narrowed as he glared at the warrior. It looked like he was ready to attack, but he was stopped by the pure white tom.

"It's not worth it," he growled.

The two WindClan toms turned and padded away. Mistsong glanced at Speckledface. There seemed to be disappointment in her eyes. Mistsong suddenly wondered if she was disappointed that there wasn't a fight.

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_Sorry for the lame ending, but I am glad I finally updated. Once again, I'm sorry for not updating!_


	6. Chapter 4

_Wow, has it already been a week since I've updated? Well, I decided to do so, because I'm currently bored with my other stories...I'm thinking of deleting them, but I'm not sure. By the way, don't forget that there's a poll on my profile; check it out!  
_

_Stormikat - well, if that were to happen, then ThunderClan would have to kick their tails wouldn't they? Don't worry, something big is going to happen, but I'm not planning on giving anything away ;)_

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**Chapter 4**

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Lightningstar's yowl rang off the leafy walls.

It was the day after Mistsong's encounter with WindClan. She still felt unnerved by the fact that there was almost a fight. Her paws itched to find out what was going on between WindClan and Speckledface. But she forced herself to remain calm during the apprentice ceremony. This was more important.

She spotted Leopardheart's three kits squealing and chasing each other in the nursery. She wondered if they even knew how much ThunderClan needed these apprentices. With Applepaw and Hawkpaw as the Clans' only apprentices, life was getting more difficult. Warriors were often forced to clean out the elders' den, while the two apprentices cleaned out the nursery.

"By naming apprentices, we show that our Clan will remain strong," Lightningstar began formally. "And it is high time these three kits earned their apprentice names," she added in a purr.

The rest of the Clan purred in agreement. It was the first time in moons that they felt this...calm. Since battles with EclipseClan were more common, tension became higher and higher amongst the warriors.

Mistsong couldn't help but wonder if it was partly her fault. After all, if she was found dead by Eclipse, perhaps the fighting would stop. But she knew that he would not stop until every ThunderClan cat was dead.

"Come forward you three," Lightningstar meowed. She flicked her tail, indicating for the three kits to move. She had used the same move when Mistsong and Eclipse became apprentices. Those were bittersweet memories.

"Oakkit, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Oakpaw. Berrytail, you are ready for an apprentice. You have been a fine mother, and mentor in the past, and I expect you to continue this training with Oakpaw."

Berrytail's eyes gleamed with sorrow at the mention of _mother_. Mistsong glanced back at the elders' den, and saw that Fallstripe was staring at his mate with pride.

_He would have made a wonderful leader_, Mistsong thought bitterly. If only EclipseClan hadn't ambushed the Clan. She knew that the battle had been inevitable, especially with Eclipse as their leader. The rogues must have looked up to him for his strange powers.

"...You will be known as Whiskerpaw," Lightningstar's voice brought Mistsong back to the present. She realized she had missed half of Whiskerkit's ceremony. "Snowstorm, you are more then ready for an apprentice. You are wise and caring, and I expect you to pass this on to Whiskerpaw."

Mistsong watched as the two toms touched noses. She knew that Snowstorm was a good choice for Whiskerpaw. The light brown tabby was much quieter then his siblings, and had a lot of patience for a young cat. That left Flamekit.

Suddenly it felt as if a lump had formed in Mistsong's throat. Could she handle such a wild kit? Mistsong wasn't so sure about this now. She could see that Flamekit was already bouncing in anticipation, excited about his ceremony. She gulped, and hoped that Flamekit wasn't expecting the greatest mentor in the Clan.

"Flamekit, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw. Mistsong, I was your mentor, and you have learned well through your training. I expect you to pass this on to Flamepaw."

Flamepaw turned and his eyes widened when he spotted Mistsong. She closed her eyes when she realized that his eyes were smoldering. It was obvious he hadn't expected her as a mentor. But instead of retaliating, Mistsong stepped forward and rubbed muzzles against his, ignoring his hiss.

The meeting was over in the next heartbeat. Lightningstar leaped down and padded back into her den, letting her tail drag behind her.

It was then that Mistsong realized how old the ThunderClan leader was getting. She had noticed before, in the past, when she saw the lines of gray etched in Lightningstar's muzzle. She hoped that when it came for Lightningstar to join StarClan, the leader would go easy. Lightningstar had been the only cat to understand Mistsong, and had been her only friend for the longest time, aside from Lightsnow.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Mistsong turned to Flamepaw. He was staring after his brothers, who were already finding nests in the apprentices' den.

"Do you want to explore first, or find a nest?" she asked as gently as she could. She wasn't going to allow his anger get to her.

Flamepaw just shrugged. "I'll do whatever you're doing," he muttered crossly.

Mistsong sighed in frustration. All of his energy seemed to have left him the moment he earned his apprentice name. Now he was going to act like an arrogant furball.

Suddenly an idea came to Mistsong. She closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to lift into the sky. As she did so, she felt her body disappear on the spot. She could hear Flamepaw's gasp as her body melted into his surroundings. She only lasted like this for a couple of heartbeats, before returning to her normal state. Flamepaw's eyes were wide with shock.

"So that's what Leopardheart told us about," he breathed when he saw she was back.

"Leopardheart told you stories?" Mistsong asked. She was surprised that the golden she-cat even cared.

"She told us that you helped stop the fight between ThunderClan and EclipseClan," he explained. "She said you were very brave, for an apprentice your age and size."

Mistsong couldn't help but stare at him in surprise. She normally would have purred, but it was hard, considering her throat had been terribly scarred in her fight against Eclipse. The pale gray warrior shivered at the terrible memory.

"Lets show you the territory," Mistsong finally murmured after a few moments of silence.

For once, it felt like this could turn into a good thing. She could see awe in Flamepaw's eyes. Perhaps, having powers would help her in her training. Mistsong could only hope for the better, for hope, was what had brought her this far.

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_Wow, this chapter seemed fairly long to me. Mistsong got to show off her powers to Flamepaw, and she's got a fan! lol. Anyways, please read and review!_


	7. Chapter 5

_Um...I guess I shouldn't say anything right now. I apologize once more for my lack of updating. I've sort of lost interest in this story after only getting one review, although she is an awesome friend: Stormikat._

_Stormikat: Well, you'll find out soon enough :) I'm not giving anything away until the later chapters, which should be...soon?_

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**Chapter 5**

Mistsong spent the rest of the day leading Flamepaw around the borders. He was enthusiastic, and seemed to learn very quickly. But he was also energetic, and didn't listen to her very well. He had even tried to climb the Great Sycamore, though she stopped him in time.

Now she was taking him to the WindClan border. The fresh scents of moorland told her that the wind was coming form their direction. And her ears flattened as she detected the strong scent of WindClan.

Ever since she started suspecting that Speckledface was a traitor, she had kept wary of the border. Flamepaw's tail was waving in the air as he paced beside her. She looked at him and saw that his eyes were narrowed. She followed his gaze and saw that two cats were standing side by side near the edge of the border. They blended in so well that it had been difficult to spot them.

Already she felt her body begun to mold with her surroundings. By now she had gotten used to this power, but she had never really gained control over it. Slash, a loner she had once met when she fled, had told her that to control her power, she must clear her mind. He had told her that in his younger days, he had met cats who were like her. They had almost complete control over their power, but it was their control that ultimately destroyed them.

Flamepaw was starting to panic when he realized he couldn't see Mistsong. She would have scolded herself for not telling him, but what good would it have done? He might end up just like Speckledface, who made it her priority to tamper with Mistsong every day.

"Well, well, looks like ThunderClan is leaving their apprentices for fresh-kill," growled a large dark brown tabby tom. It was Bearclaw, one of WindClan's most aggressive warriors.

"Maybe we should do something about this," suggested a long-limbed black tom. Mistsong's ears flattened when she realized that it was Highjump, a hot-headed warrior who always made rude remarks.

He had nearly attacked her the last time they ran into each other. As much as she regretted thinking it, it was only thanks to Speckledface that they stopped from crossing the border. But now, it was personal. She wasn't going to let them attack Flamepaw, who was only just an apprentice. And she had the advantage of surprise. They hadn't seen her form disappear, which meant that they weren't paying attention to her.

Flamepaw crouched down before the two massive warriors. Highjump grinned while Bearclaw looked his normal, emotionless self. Mistsong let out a fierce battle cry, and the two toms stopped and looked at each other in confusion. Flamepaw's eyes widened in horror, and he spun around to face what ever had made the cry. But there was nothing there, except for a swirl of mist.

Highjump let out a screech of surprise and fury as his paws were swept from beneath him. Mistsong had learned this trick from Slash, when he showed her what a blind loner could do to defend himself. Bearclaw was backing away, his eyes narrowed coldly as he watched for signs of another attack.

Mistsong was already clawing at Highjump's belly fur, and the long-limbed warrior had to beg for mercy for her to stop. She watched in amusement as he turned tail and fled into the hills. Bearclaw's eyes were hard as he searched for her.

Without even thinking, Mistsong rammed into him. Bearclaw cried furiously as he was knocked over. Mistsong gasped as the impact sent her spiraling back onto ThunderClan's border. Her eyes widened when she realized that the mist around her was disappearing.

His eyes narrowed when he saw who had attacked him. "Well, looks like our little attacker has a few tricks of her own," he snarled venomously.

Before he could take another step, yowls of outrage surrounded them. Mistsong looked back in time to see that the border patrol had arrived. And they looked furious. Jayflight, Applepaw, Snowstorm, and Whiskerpaw were running towards them.

"Bearclaw, how dare you cross the border!" Jayflight snarled as he padded forward.

"How dare _I_ cross the border?" Bearclaw sneered. He glared at Mistsong, and she felt herself sinking into the ground. "We would have been on our way, had it not been for this..._mousebrain_. She attacked us unexpectedly." Mistsong knew what he would have said instead of mousebrain. He would have called her a freak, just like Speckledface and even the some of the elders.

"Is this true, Mistsong?" Jayflight asked. Applepaw had stopped beside him, and Whiskerpaw was padding towards Flamepaw, who was still speechless with shock.

"He would have crossed the border and attacked Flamepaw, had I not been here," she replied boldly. She shot a glare towards Bearclaw, and his eyes narrowed with hate.

"It's true," Flamepaw piped up. "I wasn't paying attention until it was too late."

Jayflight returned Bearclaw's cold glare. "Both of our cats seem to believe you would have attacked Flamepaw, a new apprentice, had Mistsong not been here to defend him," he meowed coolly. "Next time, you should think before you act."

Bearclaw snorted and was about to step forward, when another cat joined him. "Come on, Bearclaw," mewed a black she-cat. "Lets report this to Foxstar."

The dark brown tabby's shoulders heaved, and he nodded. The two WindClan cats trotted off, leaving the large ThunderClan patrol behind.

Snowstorm was already at Mistsong's side. His gaze was full of concern when he noticed a large scratch on her shoulder. Highjump had managed to flail his claws across her skin, causing it to break and bleed.

"That looks pretty painful," he meowed. "You should head back, with Flamepaw."

Mistsong was too tired to argue. Her limbs felt heavy with exhaustion, after that fight. Bearclaw was hard to push to the side, and Highjump...well, his name suited him.

But now that her mind had cleared, she realized that Flamepaw was looking at her curiously. And it was with that trepidation, that she realized she would have to tell him what had happened. Even if she didn't want to.

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_Finally, I was able to update this. I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry for not updating. There just haven't been a lot of reviews lately, and...well, yeah. Maybe now that I've finally come up with better ideas, this will get better._


	8. Chapter 6

_Hey everyone. Wow, a fast update. This is a first. Well, I figured I might as well get this chapter written. I've almost forgotten the plot lines until I found them on my computer. Right now, it looks like this story will be longer then the first. Maybe. I'm not entirely sure._

_Shiningspirit: Read on my friend, read on. Trust me, you'll find out soon enough_

_Icethroat21: It's alright, I know what it's like to leave reviews. Sometimes it doesn't seem like the writer doesn't appreciate them...but, it's often the fact that they're too busy writing to notice that I have reviewed :) Hope that helped._

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**Chapter 6**

Darkness began to creep around Mistsong as she led Flamepaw to a secluded area of the forest. Here, there were thick trees everywhere, and the undergrowth concealed them well. It was close enough to the ravine that she could return to camp quickly if needed. But right now, Mistsong needed to speak to Flamepaw, alone.

Her apprentice sat down in front of her. His face held no secrets. He just looked at her in confusion as he waited for her to explain what had happened.

Taking a deep breath, Mistsong sat down and tried to think of what she should say to him.

"Has Leopardheart told you stories of the Eclipse?" she asked warily.

Flamepaw nodded. A grim look had crossed his gaze. "She told me what had happened to Grayfeather, and Eclipse," he replied.

Mistsong gritted her teeth at the painful memories. Grayfeather had fled while she was away, back into EclipseClan. Now her mother could be dead, or worse, working for Eclipse. She tried not to think about it, but all too often, cats would bring their names up, and the pain never seemed to end.

Suddenly, Flamepaw's eyes widened with realization. He must have remembered that Mistsong was born during the night of the Eclipse as well.

"You mean you have..._powers_ too?" he asked. It sounded as though he was trying to get past the fact that she did.

"Yes," Mistsong murmured. Already she felt her body melting into the mist that surrounded her. Flamepaw stared at her in utter shock, but as quickly as it started, it stopped. "It comes to me in unexpected ways," she explained when she saw his shock.

Flamepaw shook his head, suddenly looking frustrated. "But if you have these powers, why don't you use them to help the Clan?" he demanded.

"It would be unfair," she explained. It was hard not to swipe her claws across his face. Flamepaw was as arrogant as his mother. Perhaps even worse. She was already beginning to lose her patience with him. Yet, Mistsong felt that it was important to have Flamepaw on her side. After all, he was her apprentice.

The sun had finally set. It was dark out, and Mistsong could barely see ahead of her. She wondered if it was a good thing, or a bad thing. An enemy could easily sneak up on them with all of this undergrowth.

She shivered from the cold. Leafbare was still around, but newleaf would arrive soon. Brackenspots had told her that warm air was on its way.

"Come on, lets get back," she meowed.

Flamepaw didn't argue. Her body still felt battered after taking on Bearclaw and Highjump. She knew she should have seen Waterdream before talking to Flamepaw. But this had been too important to let go so lightly.

Suddenly the strong tang of WindClan hit her lungs. Mistsong's eyes widened when she realized that the scent of milk also stayed within the WindClan scent.

Even though it felt like moons ago, she recognized Roseleaf's scent instantly. The tortoiseshell-and-white queen who had trespassed on ThunderClan's territory.

She had seen the horror in Roseleaf's eyes when she spoke of WindClan. Mistsong wondered if something was going on to make the queen act that way. She had pushed the thought away before, but now, the thought returned.

Her apprentice was already ducking into the gorse tunnel, and Mistsong did the same.

They were soon in the clearing, and Mistsong saw that half of the Clan was in a tight circle. She spotted Lightningstar among her senior warriors, and the ThunderClan leader glanced at her in surprise.

The scent of WindClan was stronger now. Mistsong glanced around and peered through a gap among the tight circle.

She let out a gasp when she saw what they were hiding.

Roseleaf was crouched, trying to hide two tiny kits who barely looked two moons old. But it wasn't the kits that startled Mistsong. It was Roseleaf's weight. She looked as thin as a twig. Her pelt clutched to bones that were hard and jagged looking.

"I am relieved you are back." Mistsong turned when Lightningstar approached her. "This WindClan queen was caught in the middle of our territory, trying to get her kits into shelter."

"Why did she leave?" Mistsong asked. She would have thought that Roseleaf had it better in WindClan because she was the Clans' only queen.

"Apparently Foxstar doesn't take kindly to kits," Lightningstar growled. "He wanted nothing to do with Roseleaf in the first place, even though he is their father."

Mistsong stared at Lightningstar in shock and dismay. Their _father_? The word remained twisted in her mind. She couldn't imagine Foxstar with kits. He was nothing but a cunning, devious leader. In a way, he reminded her of Speckledface.

"That is why we are discussing the issue," Lightningstar meowed. Her yellow eyes were wary as she glanced at Roseleaf's tiny frame. The she-cat looked even smaller compared to Swiftclaw.

"What if Foxstar wants her back?" Mistsong mewed.

"No cat deserves to starve like this." Ashstorm had quickly joined them, seeing that Lightningstar was sharing the news with Mistsong. "We will fight for her right to stay, if that is what she wishes."

_And what if she wants to join WindClan once Foxstar is dead_? Mistsong wondered. She knew ThunderClan would fight for Roseleaf. _We need kits as much as WindClan does_, she told herself grimly.

Suddenly Lightningstar broke apart and headed for the Highrock. She leaped forward and landed squarely on the top of the smooth rock. "Cats of ThunderClan, we have come to a decision," she meowed loudly. The murmuring stopped, and the Clan was looking at her now with interest. Mistsong sat beside Lightsnow and Cinderfoot, who had emerged from the nursery. "Roseleaf and her kits will stay."

There were a few mutters of outrage from Russetflame and Jaggedfur. Mistsong glared at them. How could they treat a starving queen and her kits like this? Roseleaf deserved better then what she had in WindClan.

Her kits might become a great prospect to the Clan. One day, she hoped that they would make strong apprentices.

The meeting quickly broke apart. Cinderfoot, though sluggish thanks to her heavy burden, padded forward to help Roseleaf. Mistsong and Berrytail joined her.

Berrytail's mate, Fallstripe, watched from the elders' den. Once again, a twinge of guilt surged through her belly.

Fallstripe's injured leg would have never happened had Eclipse not been born. She constantly blamed herself for the fact that he would never become ThunderClan's next leader. One day, she hoped to make it up to him.

"Hungry!" one of Roseleaf's kits squealed. It was a ginger tom with white paws and green eyes. He had the same face as Foxstar, but he had his mother's eyes. The other kit was a tortoiseshell she-kit with amber eyes.

"Hush, little one," Roseleaf murmured. Her own eyes were dull with hunger, and she leaned heavily on Mistsong's side as the pale gray warrior led her to the nursery.

Cinderfoot and Berrytail helped carry the two kits after them.

By now most of the Clan had disappeared into their own dens. It was close to moonhigh, and Mistsong felt like she was about to pass out. Her wounds from the border skirmish were forgotten as she watched Roseleaf find a nest.

Now, Mistsong just wanted to sleep. She padded over to the warriors' den, where she had slept in Cinderfoot's nest. Lightsnow was already curled up, and soon, Mistsong found herself fast asleep. For now, the Clan's troubles could wait until tomorrow.

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_Yay a long chapter! I tried to make the description as realistic as possible. From Roseleaf's fear, determination, and hunger, to her kits own fear and hunger. I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly liked writing and creating Roseleaf's character._


	9. Chapter 7

_Wow, a double update. I decided to update quickly, because, I am finally gaining interest in this story again. I was reading other stories, and well, they inspired me._

_Stormikat: You caught up! Thanks for reviewing both chapters. I felt like I was rushing too, and it feels like this isn't really going anywhere. But that will change over the next couple of chapters, trust me_

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**Chapter 7**

Two days had passed since Roseleaf and her kits were accepted. Mistsong had visited Waterdream after Ashstorm ordered her. The deputy had noticed the wounds, and was worried they could become infected. Waterdream gave her some herbs to work off the wounds, and the next day, allowed her to go hunting with Flamepaw. Flamepaw hadn't mentioned anything about her powers since she told him. She knew that he wanted to ask her more, but she kept her jaws firmly shut when he tried to ask.

Snow had fallen as well, since the fight between Highjump and Bearclaw. It glistened against the bright sunlight, nearly blinding Mistsong. During the night, when she had traveled with the border patrol, they had scented Eclipse. Mistsong shuddered at the feeling of EclipseClan watching her every move. One day, they were going to strike. The attack would be unexpected, just like it was when they had killed Sunstep and Flickerkit.

Mistsong didn't want to think of how many cats had died during Eclipse's reign. He had murdered so many warriors, and so many rogues while he lived in EclipseClan. But what made it worse, was that Grayfeather had gone mad and joined them. She had a feeling that Eclipse would use their mother against her, in more ways then one.

She sighed and shook her head to clear the thoughts away. Now was not the time to think about bloodthirsty rogues. She had an apprentice to train. And Roseleaf, who was finally able to move properly, was out for the first time as well. The tortoiseshell queen trembled beside Flamepaw, nearly falling over several times as she made an attempt to hunt for her new Clan. Her kits were being taken care of by Cinderfoot and Chillgaze, who were much obliged to take care of them.

Ashstorm had decided to come with her, to help with teaching Roseleaf how to hunt in ThunderClan territory. Most of the warriors had been wary to show the new queen the ways of a ThunderClan cat. After all, she could easily return to WindClan and give away all of their secrets. But Roseleaf had promised that even if she did return to WindClan, she would never turn a traitor against the ones who took her in.

"This snow is ridiculous," Flamepaw muttered as a pile of snow fell from the branches onto him. Mistsong chuckled and flicked her tail across his shoulders as he shook it off. "It's everywhere!"

"Snow is good for the forest," she meowed when he was finished. "It helps the plants grow."

"By freezing them?" Flamepaw murmured.

Mistsong knew he was only just getting used to the snow. Normally, an apprentice would go wild if this was their first snowfall. But Flamepaw was already acting like an older warrior, who seemed to have the sense that snow was bad for the forest. Sure, it was bad for prey. But in newleaf, it would make prey better.

Roseleaf's eyes gleamed with amusement as Ashstorm led her to a less covered area. Mistsong remembered hearing that WindClan cats didn't use the thick undergrowth like ThunderClan. It made hunting and battling in ThunderClan territory almost treacherous. It also made things easier for ThunderClan, because they were used to hunting in brambles, bracken and ferns.

Lightningstar had even begun to use the trees as a way to defend themselves like squirrels. She had told Mistsong to teach Flamepaw how to climb. In a battle, they could use the branches to jump from one to another and ambush the opposing Clan. It was a brilliant tactic, and it seemed to work well on prey. No mouse or rabbit suspected a cat hiding in the lower branches of a tree.

"Now, how does one hunt in the snow?" Mistsong asked Flamepaw.

Flamepaw narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "The snow will muffle your sound, so you have to step lightly. Mice won't usually hear your pawsteps until it's too late." He looked at her, and she nodded.

"Right, lets see you do it," she prompted.

The ginger tom dropped to a crouch immediately in response. He looked uncertain, and yet, excited to try this out. As a kit, he had practiced his crouch in the nursery. But now, he was able to do it for real in the forest, with his mentor to watch instead of his brothers.

Suddenly Flamepaw stopped in mid-crouch. His amber eyes gleamed when he looked up at Mistsong. She returned his gaze sharply.

"Why haven't you ever spied on EclipseClan?" he asked.

The question was unexpected. It should have angered Mistsong. And yet, it only made her tilt her head in confusion.

She had never thought of spying. Her powers would have been perfect for it. Eclipse would never have suspected that she was there. But, he would have spies of his own if he found out what was happening amongst the Clans. And Mistsong couldn't hide the fact that he could even have spies in ThunderClan. If one of his spies found out she was among EclipseClan, Eclipse might use it as an excuse to attack.

_I am not that type of warrior_, she thought with a lash of her tail.

"Lets go," she growled through gritted teeth.

Flamepaw stared at her in surprise, but didn't argue. He knew better then to fight with her. Especially when she could use her powers against him.

With a shudder, Flamepaw bounded after her.

Mistsong allowed the snow to fly around her. She didn't want anything to do with spying on other cats. It was wrong, and deceitful. Not only would it look bad for her own Clan, but it would make other warriors not trust her.

When they reached the ravine, Mistsong made certain there weren't any WindClan cats around. With Roseleaf on their side, Mistsong was sure that Foxstar would use this as an excuse to attack. Flamepaw was still behind her, huffing most of the way as his limbs began to tire. She turned her head to see that he was falling behind.

She glanced towards the trees that surrounded ThunderClan camp. All was quiet, and Mistsong realized that she could just take her time. It felt as though a sense of peace had surrounded her. The frosty white snow that glittered around her was still there. And Flamepaw was finally catching up.

Just when Mistsong felt as though battles seemed far away, she heard a low snarl coming from ahead. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted something moving through the undergrowth. It was obvious they weren't used to moving in the thick brambles and ferns that surrounded ThunderClan territory. But the snow muffled their sounds as well, despite the fact that they were moving confidently.

"Flamepaw, go and warn the Clan that WindClan has invaded," she growled softly to her apprentice.

He did as he was told and immediately disappeared towards camp. Mistsong felt her body disappearing into her surroundings. The WindClan cats had not noticed her, or Flamepaw. It looked as though Foxstar had brought his entire Clan. But they were as skinny looking as Roseleaf. Perhaps worse.

"What about you know who?" growled a cream-colored tom. It was Milkweed, a cat she had met during the Gathering.

"If I lay my claws on her, I will rip her to pieces and take the kits that are rightfully mine," snarled Foxstar.

A shiver went through Mistsong's spine. So Roseleaf was right. Foxstar wanted nothing to do with her. He just mated with her so WindClan would have more kits. The thought was wrong, and horrible.

"We won't let that happen." Foxstar stiffened, and Mistsong's ears pricked forward at Lightningstar's voice. She spotted her leader, and saw that the whole of ThunderClan had arrived. "This couldn't wait until the Gathering, could it?" Lightningstar added in a mocking tone.

"I will make you eat those words!" Foxstar yowled.

Mistsong suddenly sprang into action. She startled the WindClan cats enough to make them spin around in confusion. Her form was shrouded in mist, which blended in perfectly with the snow.

Suddenly a paw slammed down on her. Mistsong gasped and fell. The mist cleared, and the WindClan cats stared at her in amazement. Mistsong looked to see who her attacker was. It was Speckledface, the warrior she had feared the most.

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_Uh-oh, a cliffie. Poor Mistsong, getting caught in the middle of WindClan warriors. Don't worry, the ending won't be too terrible :)_


	10. Chapter 8

_Hey everyone! Wow, I'm finally getting better at updating. I've found new interest in this series, and I would really like to get it done quickly. Well, not too quickly, otherwise readers might loose interest. Hopefully they won't :)_

_Stormikat: lol I suppose I should have described it better. They were near ThunderClan camp, and Flamepaw is the fastest in his litter ;) I love to improvise though...  
_

_Icethroat21: Thanks!_

_Shiningspirit: Found out what? That I'm finally updating?_

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**Chapter 8**

"Speckledface, what in the name of StarClan are you doing?" Ashstorm cried. Mistsong tried to get up, but she didn't dare, not when she was surrounded by so many WindClan cats. She saw her deputy, standing beside Lightningstar. To her surprise, Lightningstar didn't look shocked. She just looked very sad to know that one of her warriors had turned traitor.

"What should have been done moons ago," Speckledface snarled. She pressed a paw against Mistsong's neck, where scars from when Cinderfoot had attacked remained. Out of jealousy and rage, Cinderfoot had ambushed Mistsong several moons ago in an effort to keep her quiet. But when Mistsong made a full recovery, the two she-cats made up after Lightsnow admitted he loved Cinderfoot. "It's time this..._creature_ was put out of her misery." Speckledface emphasized the word 'creature', which only made Mistsong even more furious.

But Speckledface was twice her size, and more powerfully built. The WindClan cats just sneered at her while Speckledface's claws began to unsheathe. Mistsong writhed underneath her attacker, but she found no chance of escaping.

Mistsong gasped when she realized that a warrior was running towards Speckledface. She saw that it was Jayflight. His eyes were narrowed with rage as he rammed into Speckledface, who yowled in surprise. Her eyes blazed with untold fury as she swiped a claw across his face. Gasping for breath, Mistsong rose slowly to her paws and tried to help Jayflight. But the WindClan cats stopped her from helping. They blocked her path, staring at her mockingly.

"ThunderClan, attack!" Lightningstar's battle cry was taken up by all of the ThunderClan warriors. The WindClan cats tensed, but it was too late.

Snowstorm was the first to meet a WindClan cat. His fangs buried into the fur of Milkweed, a cream-colored warrior. Mistsong was already on her paws, swiping her claws across a scrawny she-cat's muzzle. The she-cat wailed in pain as her claws scored their mark.

She tried to look for Speckledface and Jayflight, but they were no where to be seen. Lightningstar was already biting into the neck of Foxstar, who had tried to shove her to the side. But Lightningstar was quick, and had already seen the move coming. The ThunderClan leader dodged to the side and bit down on Foxstar's paw, causing him to yowl in pain.

_Where are Jayflight and Speckledface_? Mistsong thought desperately. There were too many writhing bodies for her to make them out.

Then she spotted them. They were rolling towards Snakerocks. To her horror, she saw that an adder had been sunning itself. Its beady eyes blinked when it saw what was rolling towards it.

Every limb in her body told her to cry out and stop them. But Mistsong remained glued to the ground, watching in utter horror as they spat at each other. The adder hardly had time to think as it struck both of their shoulders.

Mistsong wanted to cry out Jayflight's name, but she was stopped by another WindClan tom. Without hesitating, she lunged forward and struck his muzzle hard with her paw. The tom looked around in confusion when he realized that she had disappeared in the snow again. She spun around, meeting his tail. With one sharp bite, she bit down as hard as she could until the WindClan warrior cried for mercy.

It took her several moments to realize that ThunderClan was winning. Lightningstar had Foxstar firmly in her jaws, while the other warriors were starting to flee. Foxstar writhed madly under Lightningstar's fangs, until he suddenly stopped moving at all.

There was a cry of outrage from a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat. Mistsong recognized her as the deputy, Deerleap. "You've killed him!" she cried.

Lightningstar stepped back and shook her head. Mistsong followed her gaze and saw that he was still breathing, but barely. "He is losing a life," she meowed.

Deerleap's eyes were wide with panic as the rest of WindClan passed her by. Foxstar suddenly coughed and struggled to his paws. His eyes glittered with rage when he opened them. He had a long wound around his neck, where Lightningstar had bitten down. It reminded Mistsong of her own scar, and she felt a shudder run down her spine.

"This isn't over," Foxstar spat. He limped towards Deerleap, who took careful precautions towards her bleeding leader.

"Make sure they are all gone," Lightningstar meowed to Lightsnow and Snowstorm.

The two warriors nodded and took off. Mistsong slowly rose to her paws and padded towards where Speckledface and Jayflight had been. They were still, bodies cold from the frost. She pressed her paw against Jayflight's fur. It felt raw and stiff, cold and lifeless.

"Two more warriors, gone because of the Eclipse." Mistsong whirled around. It was Ashstorm who had spoken. His eyes were dark with grief. Jayflight had been his younger brother. She couldn't bare to stand the grief that would be felt tonight, after the betrayal of Speckledface and the death of Jayflight.

"He was a brave warrior, ready to defend himself," Lightningstar added as she joined them. "Applepaw will need a new mentor."

Ashstorm's eyes narrowed, while Mistsong bowed her head. Applepaw had only just gotten over the loss of her brother, Flickerkit. How would she cope with knowing that her mentor was dead? She hadn't been in the battle, but Mistsong knew that she would soon find out what had happened. She shook her head at the horrible thought. The Clan was loosing far too many cats. At this rate, they would hardly have any warriors left for the worst of leafbare.

When Snowstorm and Lightsnow returned to tell Lightningstar that Foxstar and the rest of WindClan were gone, the rest of the warriors returned to camp. Mistsong helped Lightningstar and Ashstorm drag Jayflight's body back to camp. It felt strange to ignore Speckledface. But when Mistsong glanced back at the cream-furred body, she saw that her face was twisted in a scowl.

Mistsong's limbs were heavy with exhaustion after fighting so long. She had hoped that this day would bring peace to ThunderClan. But the battle with WindClan left her shaken. She knew that her day was far from over though. She would have to watch Applepaw's reaction when the young apprentice learned Jayflight was dead.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Lightningstar had already launched herself onto the Highrock. Most of the Clan was already out. Whiskerpaw and Oakpaw were sitting beside Hawkpaw and Applepaw. Mistsong watched Applepaw's expression as Jayflight's body was laid out on the ground in the clearing. The reddish tabby didn't seem to show any emotion as she watched.

"After the battle with WindClan, we have found a tragic loss," Lightningstar explained when there were several shocked expressions. By now, most warriors had noticed Jayflight. "Speckledface has betrayed us, and is now dead. But her death came with a price. Jayflight died valiantly, fighting her."

Wails of grief and outrage followed Lightningstar's words. Mistsong had already known what Speckledface was up to. She guessed that Speckledface had disappeared into WindClan territory to inform Foxstar about what had happened with Roseleaf. She wondered what the tortoiseshell queen thought of it all, but Roseleaf had ducked inside. Chillgaze was with her though, providing comfort.

"Jayflight also had an apprentice," Lightningstar continued. "Swiftclaw, you are young, but you are also ready for an apprentice. Fallstripe was your mentor, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Applepaw."

Applepaw's eyes narrowed as Swiftclaw's widened. Mistsong blinked in surprise.

Swiftclaw had been one of the cats to make fun of her during her first days as an apprentice. He had even been good friends with Eclipse before her brother joined EclipseClan. She knew that he was arrogant and boastful, but he might make a good mentor. But Mistsong had a bad feeling that Applepaw wasn't going to make life easy for Swiftclaw.

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Eh, sorry for the crappy ending. I'm watching Big Cat Week right now and I'm a little distracted while typing, but I'm glad this was done. Please review!


	11. Note

_Sorry for those who were dying to have a chapter._

_Just a side note. I've been gone for a really long time. Long story short, life got in the way. With so much crap going on right now that it's impossible to update, I haven't been able to get on and write. But, fear not my avid readers and writers, for the day to update will arrive XD_

_I've been planning the next chapter for Ice Forest for some time now. But the problem is it's been so long that I've forgotten the basic plot to this. After reading over all of the chapters, I've figured it out once more. So, hopefully by next week, a new chapter will be around. Plus, this note will be taken down as well. I just thought I should let you know what's been happening, and why it seems like I'm dead._


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